Consumers have shown a marked preference in retail stores for purchasing a combination product that includes a fishing rod and a fishing reel. This combination is often made at the manufacturing facility with the combination of a manually placed plastic band typically sold for permanently securing wires together and sealing the assembly with a layer of shrink wrap plastic film.
Unfortunately, many retail stores are operating at a level of clerk staffing that does not always permit a high degree of security in the fishing rod aisle. Some individuals will take this as an opportunity to exchange the reel originally packaged with a particular fishing rod and perform a self service upgrade. Cashiers may not notice the exchange because the price tag and bar code stock keeping unit (SKU) for the combination is attached to some location on the rod. The cashier will often allow the new combination to be sold for the originally planned price. This exchange results in a net loss of revenue to the store as well as the manufacturer.
It would be desirable to have a system for securing a designated fishing reel of standard configuration to a fishing rod in a manner that prevents disassembly or at least alerts the cashier of tampering.